St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School KEY INSIGHTS

Rooted in its rich history as a pioneer in girls’ education, St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School (SMLS) has grown and evolved into a place where girls can forge their unique educational paths in a caring, close-knit community.

The school’s vision—“Young women empowered to challenge and transform the world”—is evident in every aspect of its programs. SMLS students, known affectionately as “Millies,” discover their individual talents and passions in an environment that genuinely values every girl’s voice. The students’ confidence is palpable, as is their enthusiasm for how they’re going to apply their knowledge and skills in the real world.
Enrolment hovers around 550 girls at SMLS, which sits on 10 acres in the heart of Oakville. While many students live in the Oakville area, an extensive busing system extends the school’s catchment area far past the town’s borders. The first view of the school off Linbrook Avenue, a stately residential street in Oakville, is striking. It looks precisely as people tend to imagine private schools.

ON THE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT

The curriculum is enriched, personalized, and—increasingly—sensitive to issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion. In short, SMLS is an old school that stays on top of the newest evidence in teaching and learning. The goal is not to produce graduates capable of memorizing facts, but to turn out young women adept at solving complex problems, thinking critically, tapping into their creativity, and collaborating with diverse individuals.

Even in the earliest years, students begin following their curiosity to initiate small investigations into the world around them. In the Junior School, SMLS draws on the Reggio Emilia approach, which sets the stage for personalized learning in the following years. “Because there’s a real continuum of personalized inquiry from the early grades to the later ones, the students become very comfortable with it,” says Dr. Scott Pollock, a Senior School social sciences and humanities teacher.

At SMLS, every aspect of students’ experience—whether it’s math class, basketball practice, debate club, or lunch in the dining hall—is carefully constructed to be part of their growth and learning. But make no mistake, this is a school where students take their classes and grades very seriously. The girls we met were unapologetically ambitious and proud of their academic achievement.

For girls seeking an extra challenge, Reach Ahead credits allow Grade 8 students to take certain Grade 9 courses, and Senior School students can take up to three Advanced Placement (AP) courses at a time.

The parents we met noticed and appreciated the fact that SMLS constantly adapts its academic programs to reflect the world outside the classroom. “The teachers go well above and beyond what’s required,” says one. “They encourage girls to try to solve complex problems that connect to the real world.”

ON CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS

Experiential learning is integral to students’ experience. Five “Signature Programs” in Global Citizenship, Professional Internship, STEM & Robotics, Active Healthy Living, and Arts & Design offer opportunities to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world challenges.

“For a relatively small school, we run large-scale co-curricular programming,” says Denise Power, the dean of students, well-being, and inclusion. “We believe the best learning starts with an understanding of self, and the Signature Programs are a gateway to that understanding.”

The philosophy of the Signature Programs reaffirms one of the school’s central approaches to learning: creating a safe, supportive place where girls can try anything, succeed or fail, and absorb the valuable lessons and knowledge that come from the experience.

There’s no formal requirement that students get involved, but the majority do. “My daughters always want to do more than our schedules can accommodate, so the only real problem we’ve had is that they can’t do it all,” says one parent of two students. To keep track of their co-curricular efforts, students create Learner Portfolios—documents where they reflect on all the activities they’ve tried—starting in Middle School.

ON WELLNESS

In less forward-thinking schools, the academic support office operates at a remove from the emotional counselling office. At SMLS, there’s a consistent effort to make sure those kinds of arbitrary divisions don’t occur.

“You can’t separate academics from well-being, because in order to learn students need to feel well and strong,” says Denise Power, the dean of students, well-being, and inclusion. “So we don’t do things in silos here. We have a wide circle of care that works to support every aspect of the girls’ health and success.” That circle, known as the Student Support Team, includes school heads, the director of learning strategies, guidance counsellors, learning strategists, social workers, nurses, and the school chaplain. Power points to studies that show girls need at least one trusted adult at school that they can turn to for more than academic advice, if they’re going to be successful. “Our teachers are coaches, club leaders, and mentors. They also run our multi-grade advisory groups in Senior School, where the discussions run the gamut from academic to social and emotional issues.”

Parents, of course, are primary members of that support system, and SMLS goes to great lengths to keep them firmly in the loop in terms of students’ academic and social-emotional well-being. The school partners with parents in designing school-driven supports, but also invites families to take advantage of relevant expert resources such as webinars and books.

“Parents, teachers, staff at the Student Success Centre—we’re all on the same team working to empower students to take charge of their own well-being,” says Power. “We want them to thrive not just here, but when they leave here.”

ON UNIVERSITY PREPARATION

SMLS gets girls thinking about their post-secondary plans earlier than most schools. Not in a rigid way where students are expected to have clarity on their future, but in a nurturing, encouraging way that builds on the school’s aim of promoting self-knowledge.

Starting around Grade 7, the girls engage in workshops designed to identify their strengths and interests. At appropriate points, those workshops address the mechanics—things like resumé-building and interview skills—though they’re also constructed as a way for girls to test-drive some of their ideas.

It’s a process of discovery, not just planning. And it’s often fun. A number of years ago, the school created the mock interview, providing opportunities for students to experience interviews and auditions firsthand.

A standout feature at SMLS is the Grad Seminar, which is mandatory for all Grade 12 students. It’s a dedicated weekly class where girls get into the nuts-and-bolts of the application process while also gaining insight into the practical, social, emotional, and financial challenges of post-secondary education. From September to December, the Grad Seminar focuses on researching universities, programs, and scholarships and fine-tuning applications.

Once all the applications are in, the rest of the year is dedicated to examining how to stay well and succeed during the crucial transition to independent living. Students engage with recent SMLS graduates to learn from their experiences.

ON THE STUDENT BODY

The youngest and oldest Millies cross paths daily at SMLS, given that they’re in the same building. Yet the school also brings them together in deliberate ways. On one hand, the intention is to give girls ready access to positive role models; on the other, it’s about cultivating leadership skills. Overall, the goal is to create a close community where every girl has a place.

There are so many ways to connect at the school, from the Signature Learning Programs and advisory groups to the House system and various school councils. There’s also the “Big and Little Sisters” program, which pairs Middle School girls as “big sisters” to “little sisters” in the Junior School. Middle School students, in turn, are the “little sisters” to Senior School students.

Senior School students lead many outings and trips associated with the Signature Learning Programs, giving them a chance to interact with younger students in less formal atmospheres. “It’s wonderful to see Grade 11 girls and Grade 6 girls having shared memories and inside jokes,” says Senior School mathematics teacher Aaron Warner, commenting on a recent camping trip. Parents agree, with many extolling the benefits of built-in role models at SMLS. “I think the way the school encourages friendships between the grades creates a positive culture, and it’s really important for the little girls,” says one parent of a Junior School student.